Composition and method for providing glutamine

Abstract

A process for preparing a glutamine-supplemented food product by contacting water and a nutritive base that predominantly comprises meat and carbohydrate with a peptide source of glutamine to form a wet mixture and heating the wet mixture at a temperature of from about 50° C. to about 105° C. for a time sufficient to cook the nutritive base. The process forms a cooked food composition comprising from about 60% to about 85% by weight water. The product is useful for feeding to an animal to increase glutamine absorption or to strengthen immune function.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A retorted pet food composition, consisting of:
 a wet mixture heated at a temperature from about 50° C. to about 105° C. for a time sufficient to cook a nutritive base of the pet food composition; 
 wherein the wet mixture consists of:
 an amount of water sufficient to provide the pet food composition with water in an amount of from about 60% by weight to about 85% by weight; 
 the nutritive base; and 
 a peptide source of glutamine comprising polypeptides and one or more of a partially hydrolyzed starch, a cellulose, and a partially hydrolyzed cellulose, wherein a weight average molecular weight of the polypeptides is no greater than about 12 kd; 
 
 wherein the wet mixture has a pH greater than or equal to 5.5 and less than or equal to 6.5; and 
 wherein the nutritive base comprises greater than 75% meat and carbohydrate, by weight of the nutritive base. 
 
     
     
       2. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the wet mixture is heated at a temperature from about 65° C. to about 90° C. for a time sufficient to cook the nutritive base of the pet food composition. 
     
     
       3. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the wet mixture is heated at a temperature from about 80° C. to about 85° C. for a time sufficient to cook the nutritive base of the pet food composition. 
     
     
       4. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the wet mixture has a pH of 5.5. 
     
     
       5. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the wet mixture has a pH of 6.5. 
     
     
       6. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of water present is sufficient to provide the food composition with water in the amount of from about 65% by weight to about 80% by weight. 
     
     
       7. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of water present is sufficient to provide the food composition with water in the amount of about 60% by weight. 
     
     
       8. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of water present is sufficient to provide the food composition with water in the amount of about 65% by weight. 
     
     
       9. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of water present is sufficient to provide the food composition with water in the amount of about 75% by weight. 
     
     
       10. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of water present is sufficient to provide the food composition with water in the amount of about 80% by weight. 
     
     
       11. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the amount of water present is sufficient to provide the food composition with water in the amount of about 85% by weight. 
     
     
       12. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein a glutamine content contributed by the peptide source of glutamine is from about 0.5% to about 5% by weight of the food composition on the dry matter basis. 
     
     
       13. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein a glutamine content contributed by the peptide source of glutamine is from about 1% to about 4% by weight of the food composition on the dry matter basis. 
     
     
       14. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein no more than about 2% by weight of the glutamine in the peptide source of glutamine is in a form of free glutamine. 
     
     
       15. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein no more than about 1% by weight of the glutamine in the peptide source of glutamine is in a form of free glutamine. 
     
     
       16. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the peptide source of glutamine further comprises a protein hydrolysate. 
     
     
       17. The food composition of  claim 16 , wherein the protein hydrolysate is derived at least in part from a plant source. 
     
     
       18. The food composition of  claim 16 , wherein the protein hydrolysate is derived at least in part from barley, oat, rye, triticale, wheat, soy, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       19. The food composition of  claim 16 , wherein the protein hydrolysate is derived at least in part from an animal source. 
     
     
       20. The food composition of  claim 16 , wherein the protein hydrolysate is derived at least in part from a mammal source, an avian source, a reptilian source, an amphibian source, a fish source, an invertebrate source, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       21. A glutamine-supplemented food product comprising a sealed retortable container containing the food composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       22. The food product of  claim 21 , wherein the container is a metal can, a retortable pouch, a retortable tray, a bottle, a jar, or a laminated paperboard retortable carton. 
     
     
       23. A device configured to communicate information about or instructions for feeding the food composition of  claim 1  to an animal, comprising: a label, a brochure, an advertisement, a package insert, a computer-readable digital or optical medium, an audio presentation, a visual presentation, or one or more pages on a website, containing the information or the instructions. 
     
     
       24. The food composition of  claim 1 , wherein the peptide source further comprises one or more organic oils. 
     
     
       25. The food composition of  claim 24 , wherein the organic oils comprises one or more of soybean oil, safflower oil, palm oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, and canola oil.